The ‘Friends’ Cast Mourns Their Late Costar Matthew Perry: ‘We Are All So Utterly Devastated’

There are very few casts as close as the six actors from the long-running ’90s sitcom, Friends. Over the years, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow have shown that their bond runs as deep as the fictional one between Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribbiani, and Ross Geller.

On October 28, Perry died of an apparent drowning at 54 years old, according to TMZ reports. “We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing,” a statement posted to the official Friends Instagram account reads. “He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”

The five-time Emmy-nominated actor has been open about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, especially in his 2022 memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. While promoting his book, Perry spoke about the ways the Friends cast supported him as his addiction reached alarming heights during filming, particularly Aniston. “She was the one that reached out the most,” he told Diane Sawyer. “You know, I’m really grateful to her for that.”

As a whole, Perry described the cast as “understanding” and “patient” in a 2022 interview with People.“It’s like penguins. Penguins, in nature, when one is sick, or when one is very injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up,” he said. “They walk around it until that penguin can walk on its own. That’s kind of what the cast did for me.”

Here’s how the cast and creators of Friends is paying tribute to Matthew Perry. This post may be updated.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow

Perry’s five co-stars shared a joint statement to People on October 30, two days after his death.

“We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family,” their statement, signed by all five stars, reads. “There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”